Helping the needy since 1899

Nation's Oldest City

For more than a century, The Record has taken the lead in gathering donations to help persons in need at Christmas time. In 1899, the newspaper company spearheaded an earlier version of the Empty Stocking Fund.

That year the newspaper oversaw the “Goodfellowship Club” and listed the contributions to the Club in The Record. Of course, the size of the donations reflected the much lower dollar price of almost everything in comparison to today.

The donations to the Goodfellowship Club for 1899 totaled $16.50. The newspaper itself was the biggest contributor with its donation of five dollars. Most donors sent $1; among the listed contributors was H.W. Davis Inc., a business that sold clothes.

The Record editor “personally devoted his Christmas Day to investigating” who was deserving of the funds to be distributed for food or clothing. According to the newspaper, shoes for barefoot children and warm clothes for older person were the primary items that were given out.

To compile a list of recipients, the Goodfellowship Club relied on our city’s grocers, butchers and bakers, for they knew who really needed assistance.

For the more fortunate residents of St. Augustine, the 1899 newspaper ads for holiday-gift suggestions featured mostly food or clothing. The Surprise Store at 1 King Street (today’s A1A Ale Works) featured Christmas bargains. The store’s shirts which usually sold for $1.50 were marked down to $1 for Yuletide giving. Another gift suggestion was “shoes in the swellest style.”